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tortilla de patatas- Frugal Friday

Tapas is one thing that Mr Chocolate has a real soft spot for. Anything that involves small dishes being brought to the table with lashings of olive oil over it, there is a good chance he’s straight in there with a fork at the ready.

Our first proper date was at a tapas restaurant. Dark walls, candle lit tables, and jugs of sangria dotted the various tables. Being fluent in Spanish, he encouraged me to try out some words he had just taught me on the wait staff. As my language skills at that stage were limited to “dos cervezas por favor”, any spanish chit chat on my part was questionable.

However the night was young, the sangria was good and my spanish got better. It wasn’t long before our table was littered with empty small dishes, and a smattering of olive oil drops. With satisfied bellies, the jug now empty, our conversation remained lively.

Sparks were flying and… (well, perhaps that’s a story for another day.)

Until then, how about an easy Tortilla de Patatas.

Tortilla de Patatas

(a very simplified version)

In a frying pan add

a good couple of slugs of olive oil

some cubed cooked potatoes (4-ish)

beaten eggs (4-ish again)

cook on a medium heat until it starts to cook on the edges. Then pop a lid on, lower the heat to cook for a further few minutes until cooked through. Season to taste.

*******

eat with gusto, a glass of sangria and your very best Spanish pick up line

“Donde estas la zapateria?” (which is probably not your best pick up line.)

Ok but in a real tortilla you have to:
1. Fry potatoes (Cut them very very slim)
2. Beaten eggs
3. Take the fry potatoes out of the oil. Mix with the eggs.
4 Put this mix in the pan (throw out the oil)
5. When the tortilla is done on one side turn it like a pancake to cook it on the other side.

You can add to the mix onions, sausage (“chorizos”)
Sorry from my english !!! I´m from Argentina and my granny was fron Spain …. a real “gallega”.

Ale I would love to respond back to you in Spanish, but unfortunately I didn’t progress much further than “dos cervasas por favor”!
Thank you for your version of the tortilla. I know it’s traditionally a lot more complicated. A Uruguayan friend once gave me his recipe, a page long and an hour later- tortilla de potatas!
Tener un bien fin de semana 🙂

Now it´s hot here in Argentina and to ask for “dos cervezas por favor” is the sentence of the moment !!!! So don´t worry you´ll manage great if you come to visit.
Have a nice weekend and congratulations… your pictures are “lo más” or in English awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got pretty good at por favor recently, but never have warmed to tapas (such an unfashionable thing to say!). The truth is, I kind of want a whole dish to myself 😛 I did like hearing about your Spanish dates though, and you have certainly made some impressive looking tortillas here.

Ah, see for me, tapas does get bonus points as I get to taste lots of things. That’s why I like yum cha. It’s a lot easier than saying to your dinner companion… I really like the looks of your dish, how about I taste it? 🙂

Great story! And I believe our Husbands have something in common. A Catalan deli just opened around the corner from us, and every time we walk past (or in), Husband (who happens to have a Spanish father) comments on the tortillas displayed on the counter. Also, a few years ago he bought a skillet only for making tortillas. He’s spent years perfecting his version. Tortilla is one of the things that can instantly jolt him out of his constant cognitive doctor brain. I must introduce him to your version! Have a great weekend, darlin’!

I have learnt to appreciate sangria but I sort of regret not tasting tortilla de patatas in my time in Spain – afterwards when I talked to other vegetarians about the food they said they lived on this. And I am impressed with Mr Chocolate’s fluency in Spanish – would love to speak another language. Love hearing about your first date – sounds like fun